Tight Coupling
by seren23
Summary: This list potentially held the name of someone who was desperate to send a message and that made Pepper apprehensive, to say the least. Tony/Pepper UST, Movieverse.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Present - Chapter one of Tight Coupling

Rating: T

Pairing: Tony/Pepper -ish, movieverse

Summary: Tony has an idea.

Disclaimer: Marvel owns Iron Man. Not me. I'm only playing in their fantastic universe.

A/N: The following will be a series of connected stories. Some chapters may be more involved than others. I hope to use all of the themes in the pepperony100 table. The main title for this series is Tight Coupling (No, not that! Goodness, the mind you have snerk). The textbook definition of tight coupling in computer science terms is:

Tight Coupling - causes a system to be hard to understand and change because

changes in one place will require changes somewhere else. Requiring changes to be made in more than one place is problematic since it is time-consuming to find the different places that need changing, and it is likely that errors will be made  
A network of interdependencies makes it hard to see at a glance how some component works (ref: Object Oriented Software Engineering Database, Univ. Ottawa)

If that isn't the two of them in a nutshell, I don't know what is.

As always, a massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed my other stories. Still walking on air. Please let me know what you think about these!

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Chapter one

#58 – Present

"I've had an epiphany," Tony said as he thundered into his living room. Pepper was looking over the latest stock figures and was trying to make sense of the budget the Finance department had sent over. Not really in her current job contract, but she just couldn't help herself. Once an accountant, always an accountant. Or something.

"An epiphany?" she said. "And how many is that this week?"

"Why do I get the feeling you're not taking me seriously?" Tony asked. "I don't just wander around announcing that I've had an epiphany. This is serious."

"Right. Jarvis?" Pepper said.

"Yes Miss Potts?" the AI responded.

"How many epiphanies has Mr Stark had in the last seven days?"

"At my last counting, I believe twelve, Miss Potts," he replied. "Although he labelled the pouring of orange juice into cereal as an epiphany regarding saving time and still ingesting nutrients without the, and I quote, 'foul aftertaste of cow liquid'."

The AI paused. "I am reluctant to classify this statement as an epiphany in the traditional sense. Therefore, I still place the tally at twelve."

Pepper looked up from her spreadsheet to smirk at Tony. He scowled back.

"I hate you both," he said. "Really, the amount of abuse I put up with from the pair of you."

He slumped against the wall and began to tap his fingers against the glow coming from underneath his shirt.

Pepper sighed and decided that it would be better to just end the sulkfest before it really got going. She put down her spreadsheets and braced herself.

"What is your epiphany Tony?" she asked.

Stark visibly perked up.

"It has come to my attention that Stark Industries has been having some problems pulling out of its slump and I have come up with the answer," he said. "I'm going to market the arc reactor."

He rocked on his heels a little. "I'm not altogether sure why we didn't do this before."

"Well, because you previously made weapons," Pepper said. "And I was under the impression the arc reactor technology was not ready for public consumption."

Tony waved his hand. "Of course it was ready for public consumption. We didn't bother because, as you rightly pointed out, we made weapons. I don't make weapons anymore. Therefore..."

Pepper furrowed her brow. "Have you talked to anyone else about the feasibility of this?"

"Yep," he said grinning and rocking.

"Oh no," she said. "You've got that look on your face. What have you done?"

"Such pessimism Miss Potts," Tony reprimanded her. "Where is that wide-eyed optimism you used to have?"

"I think it got misplaced along with my belief in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus," she replied. "I repeat, what have you done?"

"I called a board meeting," he said. "Impressed?"

"Frightened, actually," she told him. "What—"

"Have you ever heard of a town called Pasa Linda?" he asked walking over to the window and without waiting for an answer went on, "No, of course you haven't. It's a tiny little 'burb near Bakersfield. A bit too close to the desert for my personal tastes, but there you go. In the past five years they have built up their previously rather defunct community college and have begun to establish themselves as quite the technical school."

Tony turned and smirked at the bewildered look on Pepper's face. He really loved that look.

"I have decided to help them out," he said.

"By doing what exactly?" Pepper asked slowly. "Are you giving them a grant?"

"Oh, Pepper," Tony said. "Bigger. Better."

He grinned and rocked even more on his feet.

"Oh for God's sake, what is it?" she asked.

"Such impatience Miss Potts," he admonished. "The ultimate problem with the previous model of the arc reactor is that it was rather large and unwieldy."

"Tell me about it," Pepper muttered. She still woke up to the vision of blue light shooting into the sky.

"This new design is much more scaled down and can power a small campus, say a campus the size of Pasa Linda Technical College," Tony said standing perfectly still. "It is simple, it is reliable, it is clean energy and it will get the board off my back about those stock points."

Pepper looked at him and stifling a smile simply said, "You've already got the Energy Department working on this don't you?"

"Of course I do, what kind of forward thinker would I be if I didn't get cracking on this?" Tony answered.

He walked over and stood in front of her.

"This will work Miss Potts," Tony said to her. "I'm not making weapons anymore. And I'm not going to hide away in my little gilded cage and wait for Stark Industries to miraculously recover without doing something."

He smiled at her and headed back towards his workshop.

"It's still my company," he called over his shoulder. "The meeting's at 9 am sharp. I expect you to be there on time! None of that dilly-dallying you always do."


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Found - Chapter Two of Tight Coupling

Rating: T

Pairing: Tony/Pepper -ish, movieverse

Summary: Tony finds the pantry.

Disclaimer: Marvel owns Iron Man. Not me. I'm only playing in their fantastic universe.

* * *

Chapter Two - #77 – Found

"I am Iron Man. I am freaking Iron Man!" he thought. "I have the ability to shoot missiles off my shoulders and I can fly so fast I make the Air Force want to cry, so why am I hiding?"

Tony Stark was currently inside his pantry. A pantry he didn't actually know existed until about an hour ago. He had ducked in there after he realized that the news was replaying one particular scene of the robbery that he'd disrupted and that Pepper had probably seen it and in a moment of self-preservation he decided to make himself scarce. Actually, he was more concerned about the fact he'd missed his own board meeting that he'd called...

Hence the pantry.

All in all it was a very nice pantry. Well-stocked. And because he was Tony Stark it was rather large. However like most pantries, after the eating cereal out of the box and pondering the existence of three cans of tomato soup (seriously, the stuff only tastes good when you've got a head cold), the thrill was gone and Tony was trying to talk himself into leaving the pantry and facing the music.

It wasn't really working. He decided to try humming.

When Pepper arrived at the Stark mansion she was immediately drawn to the pantry where a fairly respectable rendition of 'Eye of the Tiger' was being performed. She stood in front of the closed doors and waited until the end.

When it was finished she said, "The pantry Tony? Really? You have a flying suit at your disposal and the best you can come up with is the pantry?"

She tried the door and was actually surprised that it was locked.

"Well, I thought about flying to Majorca, but Jarvis insisted on returning the suit," he replied from behind the closed door. "It was apparently leaking some hydraulic fluid and that needed to be fixed. So anything outside of a 50 mile radius was out."

"I see," she said. Pepper wondered if Steve Jobs' assistant had conversations with him through closed pantry doors.

"And I knew that you were going to get all screechy and concerned about what they keep playing on the news and I would like to take this opportunity to say that I wasn't in any real danger, so just keep that in mind," Tony continued. "I actually had no idea I even had a pantry so I figured if I didn't know it was here, what were the odds that you did?"

He heard a very deep breath being taken and released.

"There are so many things wrong with what you've just said, I truly don't know where to begin," Pepper said.

"Oh, I'm fairly sure you'll find a good place," Tony said reassuringly. "I have every faith in you. It's one of the things that I admire most. Your ability to prioritize."

"Tony," she said quietly.

"Yes, Miss Potts?" he said.

"Open the door," she said.

A click and the door to the pantry opened. A box of Frosted Flakes was thrust into her face. She looked over the box into the face of her boss.

"I hear they're great," he offered. "And who am I to argue with a tiger? Animated or not, I'm pretty sure he could kick my ass. Well, maybe not if I'm wearing the suit, but—"

"A bullet ricocheted off your helmet," she told him.

Tony stopped talking. He sighed heavily.

"The key word there being ricocheted," he told her. "You know how tough the suit is. Bullets don't make much of an impact on it. Well, they did once, but I fixed that."

"You don't get it," Pepper said loudly. "It hit your head! I was pulled out of a meeting, that you should have been attending, to watch you be shot in the head on national television by some idiot trying to hijack a car! It hit. Your. Head."

"I know! I was there!" Tony said. "I heard the ping pretty loudly actually."

Pepper closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Are you counting to ten? Does that actually work? I hear it's what you're supposed to do when faced with a frustrating situation."

She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"It hit your head," Pepper said softly. "The meeting got rescheduled to tomorrow. If you really want to win the board over with your new generators, you better show up."

She made a movement to walk away but turned back and grabbed the box of cereal from his hands.

"I have always known where the pantry is," she told him witheringly. "Who do you think did your shopping for you?"

Pepper headed towards the kitchen. Tony slumped against the pantry doorway and closed his eyes.

"And I'm not screechy!" she called out.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Tight Coupling

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Post board meeting.

Disclaimer: Not mine. All Marvel's.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has left me review. Sorry this one is so short. I am getting somewhere I promise. Please, please let me know what you think!

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Chapter Three – Relax (84)

Tony leaned back in the elevator with a satisfied expression on his face.

"I think that went well," he said. "What did you think?"

"Oh I think it went very well, Mr Stark," Pepper said. "I think the deciding factor may have been your presence..."

"You're really not going to let this go are you?" he asked. "I'm trying to reform my life, find all of the illegally acquired weapons, round up bad guys using my weapons, help find sources of clean energy and possibly even save the condor from becoming extinct, punctuality is never going to be big on my list."

"The Californian condor is already extinct," Pepper said looking at her pda. "You might want to pick another animal."

"Just, hush and let me have my Sally Field moment," Tony told her. He closed his eyes and grinned.

Pepper shook her head in amusement and then looked puzzled.

"Norma Rae?" she asked.

"Oscar acceptance speech," he replied.

They exited the elevator and while Pepper stopped to talk to one of the other assistants Tony headed to his office where he promptly loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his suit. He headed to his computer and began running through some schematics. Pepper walked in soon after.

"Don't start," Tony said to her.

"What?" she said. "I didn't say anything."

"You were going to launch into one of your lists of things that I have to do today and I really don't see the need for it," he told her eyes never leaving the computer screen. "I'm heading to the Energy section and then over to Engineering and then to dinner with those idiots who are convinced I can't possibly be meaning to withdraw funding."

He finally tore his eyes away from the screen and looked at her with a smirk.

"And you thought I never listen to you," he said.

"Well," Pepper said after she blinked away her disbelief. "Will that be all Mr Stark?"

"That'll be all Miss Potts," Tony said.

Pepper walked over to his desk and set down a few folders and the day's paper.

"In that case, I'll be at my desk should you need anything," she told him. Pepper turned to leave.

"There is one thing Miss Potts," he said.

She turned to look at him. He was back to staring at the screen but she could tell he wasn't working.

"My plan," Tony began. "It feels... Well, I'm doing the right thing."

It wasn't a statement.

Pepper leaned back a little and schooled her thoughts (and her pulse).

"I think that the Pasa Linda Technical School is going to be very grateful to you," she said. "I also think that the board will be pleased with the end results. They were very pleased today with the profit predictions. It will free up your time to an extent for your, um, extra-curriculars."

Tony's lips twitched trying to hold back the involuntary smirk.

"I think that this is a very good direction for Stark Industries to go in," Pepper finished. "It makes sense actually."

Tony looked up intrigued.

"Now, why would you say that Miss Potts?" he asked.

"Well, Stark Industries has already competed and come out almost on top with all the other weapons manufacturers out there, even including the Department of Defense," she said. "It makes perfect sense for you to compete with energy."

She looked up and finally locked eyes with him.

"You know this already don't you?" Pepper asked. "You're going to be competing with every single energy manufacturer out there. From oil to coal to electricity. My God Tony, are you trying to take on the Federal Energy Department?"

Tony leaned back in his chair, and once again Pepper was struck by the image he created. The glow of the arc reactor in his chest matched the blue of the sky outside.

"Don't be overly dramatic Miss Potts," he said nonchalantly. "I'm simply a businessman. I have no intention of 'taking anyone on' as you put it. I'm just trying to make a tiny profit."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Tony grinned unrepentantly.

"As always though, your input was greatly appreciated," he said, moving back to his computer screen. "I'll see you later I'm sure."

He began to work in earnest.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Tight Coupling - Chapter Four (Theme 56 - Spider Sense)  
Rating: PG  
Summary: Pepper visits the Finance Department.

A/N: Sorry that this one is so short! I am really getting somewhere I promise. The plot is beginning a little in this one. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. It just makes my day! Please let me know what you think of this one.

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Chapter Four – 56 Spider Sense

Pepper was on her monthly tour of the different departments. In past years, this tour could be completed in a day, day and half. This month however, it had been spread out over a week. Everyone was desperately trying to keep to the schedule and churn out new proposals.

She'd visited the new and improved Energy Department earlier in the week and had to struggle to keep a smile off her face as Tony himself showed her what the Pasa Linda project entailed. The practical application of the reactor was potentially world-changing. His enthusiasm was infectious and the department had resembled a slumber party more than a place of work.

Today, Pepper was visiting the Finance Department. The hum of the processors and the clicking of keyboards made her smile inwardly at the familiarity of the place where she had first been employed. Stark Industries being the size it was not only had accounting facilities, but also housed a great number of number crunchers whose sole purpose was to come up with possible outcomes for their investments.

She let the current Finance head show her the latest earnings and the graphs showing the steadily creeping upwards motion of the Stark stocks. On the whole, it looked fairly safe. Dr Cummings, the new head was a tiny man with thick glasses that kept sliding down his nose, at one point she had to stop herself from pushing them back up.

The tour was nearly over and a thought occurred to her.

"Whatever happened to Dr Stephens?" she asked. "I know he left a few months ago, but I haven't heard anything from him and was just wondering. He was one of the better bosses I ever had. He left so suddenly."

Dr Cummingslooked puzzled. "You know I'm not altogether sure. I had heard he got a position, somewhere on the west coast, but beyond that..." He shrugged his shoulders. His phone rang and with a "Oh excuse me Miss Potts," he walked off to answer.

She turned away and looked into the room commonly known as the Hive. She caught sight of Danny Morgan, one of the whiz kids brought on a few years ago. One of Tony's finds actually. In one of his rare fits of responsibility he'd come across the kid at a conference and hired him on the spot. They got along surprisingly well, but Pepper surmised it was probably due to the fact that despite the suits (the metal one as well as the Armani) Tony was essentially a geek. Danny was currently leaning against a desk watching the stock ticker with apparent fascination and making notes. Every now and then he'd furrow his brow and swallow heavily.

She wandered over.

"Hi Danny," Pepper said with a smile.

He jumped.

"Oh, god," he said. "Hey, hi, Pepper. Miss Potts."

"Pepper," she corrected him. "How are you?"

"Oh you know," he said. "Just, ah, working. A lot. Working. Yeah. Uh, you?"

"Oh you know," she said amused. "The same old, same old."

"Well, but it's not!" Danny said quickly.

Pepper looked confused.

"I mean, what I mean is he did it!" Danny said waving his hand a bit. "He made it! It's amazing."

"You mean the suit?" Pepper said realization dawning on her. Conversations with Danny always felt like she was running a marathon and never quite catching up to the leader. "Yes, it is really quite something. You should stop by and have a look. Let him know if he's done something wrong. Really, all the accolades will go to his head. He probably needs good old-fashioned criticism."

Danny shook his head. "Nah, I'm more the numbers man. You know..."

He waved his hand in the air.

"Yeah," Pepper said. "How are the numbers these days? I heard that we've more or less pulled back up in the stocks. What do you think?"

Danny seemed to get a little more nervous. He started to twirl his pen around his hand.

"Oh, well," he started. "We, I mean Stark Industries, definitely took a hit. Especially with Mr Stark changing things. But, um, that can be turned around. I'd be more worried about the others."

Pepper furrowed her brow a little.

"The others?" she asked.

"Yeah," Danny said eyes darting back up to the stock ticker. "Others who, you know, invested in Stark Industries. A lot of, um, people did."

"True," she said thoughtfully watching the ticker herself. "But that's how the stocks work though isn't it? Always changing and it's not like anyone could have seen all this coming."

"Maybe," Danny said quietly. She looked over at the young man and wondered what exactly he was seeing that she couldn't.

"Miss Potts?" Dr Cummings called. "Are you ready to see the new forecasts?"

"Oh, yes thank you," she said. She turned to Danny.

"Take care of yourself Danny," she told him. "And I meant it. Stop by."

"Thank you, ah thank you Miss Potts, Pepper," he said quickly meeting her eyes and then looking back up at the ticker.

Pepper continued on her tour, but Danny Morgan's quiet 'Maybe' stuck in her head and she wasn't sure why.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Hands – Theme 021

Series: Tight Coupling

Pairing: Tony/Pepper –ish

Rating: PG

Summary: A meeting, an emergency and the mention of curly fries. Not necessarily in that order.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. It truly gives me encouragement to keep going. Please let me know what you think of this one.

Chapter 5: Hands – Theme 021

* * *

He's taken to letting her enter rooms first. Whether they're heading into the office or the living room or even the work room, his hand is at her lower back and guiding her through the door.

She's a little unsure of what to think about this.

On one hand she likes it. Really likes it. His hand is warm and large and she know those fingers are dexterous (she watched him idly work a Rubik's cube once while going over his schedule and had to remind herself to keep breathing and not stutter)and the security of it is really very, very attractive. In fact, she finds herself getting used to it.

Which is why, on the other hand, she really doesn't like it.

Pepper has always prided herself on not being _that girl_. She engages freely in their little quip fests and lets the occasional double entendre slip out, because she knows that she is not _that girl_.

However, when that warm hand is resting on her lower back as he guides her through a throng of reporters and he is whispering sarcastic comments in her ear, remembering that she is not and does not want to be _that girl_ is very difficult.

Such is the case at this particular moment.

It was another one of those grab and grin meetings that Public Relations always scheduled and that the old Tony Stark would have gleefully skipped. However, with his new projects in the works and Stark Industries still having to justify their actions from a few months ago (Re: big blue explosion, a missing CEO and the head CEO flying around in a metal suit) Tony had been informed that his attendance was mandatory.

So far Pepper was impressed. Tony had really been on his charming and brilliant best. He had entertained some of the good old boys from the Governor's office and, from the guffaws echoing all over the room, Pepper supposed it was going okay.

Now, an hour since his arrival and he was making his way out the door. His hand was at her lower back and he was gently pushing her towards the exit. She reminded herself to pay attention to where she was going and not the fact that she could feel the heat from each finger pressed lightly into her back through her suit jacket.

"I seriously don't remember inviting all of these people," he murmured into her ear.

"_You_ didn't," she reminded him smiling at a local councilman. "PR did, so smile and act like you're enjoying yourself."

How he managed to snort and grin at the same time always amazed her.

"Yeah well, make a note that in the future we have fewer people to these things," Tony told her as he manoeuvred around a group of older women. "The mixture of Eternity and Old Spice is killing me."

Pepper nodded in agreement and they tried to speed up the exit process and still had to stop five more times before emerging onto the sidewalk.

"Actually, you know what?" Tony said as Pepper finished calling Happy to pick them up. "Invite more people next time. Easier to leave with more people."

Happy pulled the familiar Audi right up to them and Tony opened the door and ushered Pepper inside.

"Where to Boss?" Happy asked.

Pepper opened her mouth.

"Curly fries," Tony said loudly.

Pepper turned to stare at him.

"Trust me. They are the only thing that could erase the stench of this afternoon," Tony told her. "Any establishment that sells curly fries Happy. The greasier, the better. I'm not particular."

Pepper raised an eyebrow and then quickly looked out the window. She wasn't quick enough.

"What?" Tony said. "I'm not."

"Tony, you could give Meg Ryan a run for her money," she informed him.

"Oh, look who's talking Miss-Soy-Milk-and-Gluten-Free," he shot back. "When was the last time you had a bunch of greasy, crunchy curly fries?"

"Probably the last time you did," she said. "And I have the empty Tums wrappers to prove it."

Tony tsked at her and flipped on the little television screen in front of him. They both stared at the screen in dismay.

The images flashed between people running for cover from bullets to dusty arms vehicles racing through streets to a large orange explosion. The news reporter described the events occurring in Afghanistan in a far too upbeat tone.

Pepper glanced over at him. His jaw was set and his eyes were glittering.

"Raincheck on the fries Happy," Tony said in a casual voice. "Head back to the house please."

"Yes sir," Happy said.

Pepper leaned into the most likely illegal u-turn and didn't take her eyes off Tony who didn't take his eyes off the screen. She finally decided to chance it.

"You don't know that they're yours," she said quietly.

"Yes, I do," he said just as quietly.

"You could call Jim," she said.

"I could," he said.

"But you won't," went very loudly unspoken.

"After you've dropped me off," Tony called to Happy. "Please take Miss Potts anywhere she wants."

"The house is fine Happy," Pepper said.

"Pepper," he said finally looking over at her.

"You said anywhere I want Mr Stark," she informed him meeting his gaze.

"So I did Miss Potts," Tony said.

The ride back to the Stark Mansion was silent except for the explosions on the screen. Tony continued to watch the television and Pepper continued to watch his hands that had so gently guided her through a throng of people as they tightened into fists.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Sharp – Theme 029

Series: Tight Coupling – Chapter Six

Pairing: Tony/Pepper

Summary: A dream, alcohol pads and pulse points.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is following this story and leaving feedback. It really helps me along. Please let me know what you think of this one!

* * *

Pepper was dreaming.

She was in a mall and she was running from something. Something large was behind her and she didn't dare turn around. She ran into a department store and moved between the racks of clothes. The fabrics brushed against her hands and face and she kept running. Past nightgowns and coats and bright blue and gold ties.

Then, all of a sudden, something sharp pressed into her back. Oh God. This was it, she was going to die and it was going to hurt and she was running out of places to run. The intercom system overhead began to speak.

"Miss Potts," it said smoothly. "Miss Potts. I believe you are dreaming. Miss Potts. Would you like to wake up now?"

Pepper sat up with a gasp. She batted at the curtain that had managed to blow in due to the open balcony door. She slumped a little in disbelief and winced as something poked into her back. Feeling around behind her she grasped the object and looked at it. The remote. Right.

"Miss Potts?"

The intercom? – no, wait – Jarvis.

"Yes, Jarvis," Pepper answered. "Thank you for waking me."

"You asked me to alert you to Mr Stark's return. He is currently having the armor removed and may need some," here the AI paused. "Assistance."

"Assistance?" Pepper repeated. "How hurt is he?"

"Not critically, but the suit sustained some damage during a fall and I believe he has a wound on his back," Jarvis replied.

"A fall," Pepper said flatly getting to her feet and distractedly straightening her skirt. "Do I want to know how far a fall this was?"

The fact that Jarvis didn't answer her immediately made her say, "No, never mind. I don't want to know."

She padded over to the workshop doors and entered in her security code. The chill of the floor went a long way in waking her up and steeling her nerves. She walked down the stairs slowly looking around the room. Tony was just getting down from the platform that removed his suit, his black body suit still on. He looked over in her direction.

"Still here?" he asked. He continued over to the small stool next to his desk and dropped onto it.

"Where else would I be?" Pepper said drily walking over to him. "Jarvis said you may need some help with your back."

Tony rolled his eyes and began to untuck the top half of the body suit.

"As usual, he has overly exaggerated the situation," he told her. "I'm fine. I don't need Nurse Potts to tend my wounds."

He stopped and leered at her. "Unless you were planning to break out the sponges and tongue depressors."

"I don't even want to speculate on the function of the tongue depressors in this little fantasy of yours," Pepper said as she crossed her arms over her chest and waited for him to lift his shirt and turn around so she could assess the damage.

"Ah," Tony said as he lifted his shirt. "Quite simple really, you would just..."

He broke off with a loud intake of breath and froze with his arms and top halfway up his chest. He closed his eyes in apparent pain and lowered his arms, then slowly opened them to face Pepper's concerned expression.

"Need some help with the overly exaggerated situation?" she asked.

Tony swallowed hard.

"Yes, but only because I know you like looking at me all black and blue," he said.

Pepper didn't bother to respond, she just stepped forward and tugged gently on the bottom of the suit top and lifted carefully and slowly. Tony inhaled deeply as the top reached the place where the pain was the highest. Tony's arms were heavy and when the top cleared his head, they fell to his lap. He breathed out and leaned forward. Pepper froze as his head came to rest against her stomach. Her fingers bunched up the suit top as her hand clenched. Seconds passed. Hesitantly, she rested a hand on his shoulder. He inhaled deeply again.

For a few minutes, the only movement in the workshop was the bustling of the robots as they began to clean up the suit and the steady rise and fall of Tony's shoulders.

His skin was warm and firm beneath her hand. She allowed her fingertips to press in a gentle, barely circulating massage. Tony relaxed even more. His breath ghosted warmly across her stomach.

"Mmm bah hhhts."

"What was that?" Pepper asked leaning forward.

Tony pulled himself up and leaned back. Pepper dropped her hand from his shoulder.

"My back hurts," he told her matter-of-factly.

Pepper nodded. "Turn around, I'll take a look."

After a moment, Tony swivelled the chair and put his arms on the desk and then rested his head on them.

Pepper looked his back over and winced.

"Prognosis nurse?" he asked.

"Well, it's very colourful," she said. "A bit too impressionist for my personal tastes, but..."

"I keep forgetting. You're more of a Fauvist girl aren't you?" he retorted.

"That's me," Pepper said. "This definitely needs ice and you have a pretty long scrape that needs to be bandaged up. Let me get the first aid – oh!"

Pepper stopped and looked at Dummy the robot in surprise. The robot had silently rolled up next to her and was offering the first aid kit.

"Thank you," she said slightly bewildered. She took the box from him and his 'fingers' opened and closed once as if he was waiting for more instructions. "Umm, could you bring me some ice?"

The fingers opened and closed again and he whirled away to presumably fetch some ice.

Pepper shook her head and smiled a little. She opened the kit and took out the bottle of rubbing alcohol and a large gauze pad. She poured a little on the pad and touched the gauze to Tony's back. He stiffened and gritted his teeth as the cool pad was moved over his back. Pepper avoided the long scratch and just focused on trying to wipe down the heavily bruised area. It was a monster bruise and she tried to stop the images of Tony falling from some ridiculous height as they flashed behind her eyes.

"They were mine," Tony said abruptly.

Pepper stopped what she was doing.

"What?" she asked.

"They were mine. The weapons. All mine," he gritted out.

"Tony," she tried.

"Don't care," he said. "Don't care if Obadiah sold them right under my nose. My name is on them. Mine. And X marks the spot."

Pepper didn't move, even as her fingers squeezed the pad and the alcohol ran in a line down to her wrist and halfway down her arm.

"They were mine and they're mine again. I got them back," Tony continued. "Mine all over again. Finders Keepers, Pepper. And Losers Weepers."

He chuckled too darkly.

"Some of 'em are weeping now," he said.

It was Pepper's turn to grit her teeth.

"This may sting a little," she said softly.

Pepper touched the pad to the long cut and bit her lip when he bowed his head even further over his arms. She put the used pad on the desk and moved to get some more gauze when Tony's hand reached over and grabbed her wrist. She gasped and her wrist, still damp with alcohol, turned a little in his grasp. His thumb moved to her pulse point. She both wanted and didn't want him to look at her. His thumb pressed into her wrist, enough for her to feel it, but not enough to hurt. Tony turned his head to stare at her pulse fluttering beneath her pale skin.

"Am I scaring you Pepper?" Tony asked.

"Yes," she whispered without hesitation.

He nodded and brought her wrist to his mouth where he kissed her pulse and then murmured, "I'm scaring myself."

Tony then let go of her and dropped his head onto his folded arms again.

"Have at it Nurse Potts," he said.

Pepper's heart pounded irregularly but her hands remained steady as she cleaned up Tony's back and attached a bandage and then looked around to see where Dummy had gotten to with the ice.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Gray - Theme 007

Series: Tight Coupling

Rating: PG

Pairing: Tony/Pepper-ish, movieverse

Disclaimer: Still not mine. All Marvel's.

Summary: Morning, coffee, and Rhodey finally shows up. Oh, and remember the guy from** Spicy**? Well, he's back.

* * *

The next morning dawned a bit too slowly and too overcast for Pepper. When she looked out the window and sipped her coffee, she kept expecting the sun to beam out brilliantly from behind the clouds. In fact, she stared at the sky for a full five minutes letting her coffee cool waiting for the sun to break through. When it didn't, she's not sure if she's relieved to know that the world keeps turning and weather patterns just continue on their merry way or if she's insulted that the rest of the world can't feel as changed as she does.

She did decide, however, to let Jarvis wake Tony up. And then tried to stop checking her wrist for a handprint or a bruise or maybe a neon tattoo that reads 'Tony Stark Kissed Me HERE'.

Instead, she consulted the schedule for the day and rescheduled some meetings. Then, because she's obviously become a masochist in the last six months, she turned on CNN.

They're actually using stock footage she notices and no one actually seems to know what happened. Just that Iron Man swooped in and rounded up a lot of bad guys with big guns that should never have been sold to them in the first place and said guns are now missing or destroyed. The talking heads are debating on whether Iron Man should be labelled a hero or vigilante. Pepper winces and makes a mental note to speak to Public Relations later about the press release they'll have to send out.

"Miss Potts?" Jarvis called from above.

"Yes Jarvis?" she replied, taking a note of the pundits with the most animosity towards Iron Man.

"Colonel Rhodes is approaching the house."

"Thank you Jarvis," Pepper said. She stood and turned the television off and headed into the kitchen. She's making another cup of coffee when Jim appears the entry to the kitchen

"Morning Pepper," he said. "Don't suppose there's enough for poor ol' working soldier?"

"The day you are considered 'poor' or 'ol' is the day I eat my shoes," Pepper smirked over her shoulder. "Milk only, right?"

"Yes ma'am," he answered. "How are you Pepper?"

"Me? Oh, I'm fine. It's his royal idiocy I'd be more concerned with," Pepper said as she handed him a cup.

"Oh I am," Jim tells her. "I fully plan on reading him the riot act. Not that he'll listen, but it'll let me practice sounding forceful and disapproving."

"Well, good luck with that," Pepper said with a smile.

Jim took a sip of his coffee and shook his head.

"What do you do to this stuff?" he asked. "It's perfect, every time."

"Personal assistant code prohibits me from revealing my secret," Pepper told him.

All of a sudden they heard what sounded like a cross between a growl and yawn and most definitely a groan. They looked at each other and then in the direction of Tony's room.

"I do believe that's my cue," Rhodes said finishing off his coffee.

"Have fun," Pepper said with a smile.

Jim headed down the hall in the direction of the cursing.

Pepper headed back to her laptop and began looking at her emails. It was one of the tasks Tony always teased her about doing, saying that Jarvis was more than capable of answering most of them and the AI was certainly capable of sorting them, however it was one task she didn't mind doing herself. She busied herself with reading over the projections that each department had been asked to create. Most were optimistic, some were slightly less so. She opened the one from the Telematics Department and pursed her lips. The hope had been to aim the current project using GPS configurations more towards vehicles and possibly aircraft, taking the focus away from the missiles and surveillance equipment.

It appeared that Dr Hake was still not pleased with the current direction of Stark Industries and was apparently stalling the creation of new projections. She skimmed the rather verbose declaration of discontent and made a note to call the head manager to see if it was just Hake making noises or if the entire team felt the same.

Pepper shook her head. Dealing with Hake was the last thing she wanted to do.

Her PDA beeped at her. She checked the time and realized that if Tony didn't get his butt in gear they'd miss the demonstration that Energy Department was staging today. She headed towards Tony's room, but slowed down when she heard voices through the partially opened door.

"You do know that was a hell of a risk you took yesterday," Jim's voice was saying. "I didn't know the suit could do that."

"Yeah, well, neither did the suit," Tony replied.

"Jesus, man," Jim said. "You can call me you know. It is actually my job to do these kinds of things. I can provide back-up at the very least."

"I'm aware," Tony said. "But, they're my weapons. I'll deal with it. And hey, you should be thanking me. I'm saving you a hell of a lot of paperwork. And money come to think of it."

"Oh yeah? Who's savin' you?" Jim retorted. "Don't think I don't see you walking like you got a stick up your ass."

"Oh, that," Tony said. "That's nothing. Pepper just got frisky with the tongue depressors last night."

Pepper's eyes shut in disbelief. Or was it disgust?

"Man, there are just some things I don't need to know," Jim was telling Tony. "And don't you dare knock that woman. How she manages to put up with your crap, I will never know."

"If you saw her 401K, you might get a clue," Tony said.

"Yeah, right," Jim muttered, rolling his eyes. "Just, think about calling us next time. Unlike you, we are actually paid to do this kind of thing. We even have schools and degrees in this stuff."

"You got it, honeybear," Tony said, his voice getting closer to the door. Pepper straightened up and made a move to push the door open just as Tony opened it fully.

He actually looked like he'd gotten some sleep. His eyes were bright and he looked freshly cleaned and was wearing a suit and a smirk to match.

"Well, good morning Miss Potts," he said.

"Good morning Mr Stark," she said. "Sorry to interrupt, but you have a demonstration at the office in thirty minutes; Happy should be bringing the car around about now."

"Ooh, that's right!" Tony said as they walked into the living room. He turned to Rhodes. "Wanna come see my new toy? It has lots of pretty lights."

"Thanks for the invite," Jim said chuckling. "I've got a training exercise to get to."

"Take care man," he said patting Tony's back and staring at him pointedly when Tony flinched. Jim turned to Pepper with a small smile. "Thank you for the coffee."

"Not a problem Jim," Pepper said. He patted her shoulder as he headed towards the door.

Tony's eyes narrowed. However, he waited until Pepper and he were in the car and heading down the winding drive away from the mansion.

"Since when do you call him Jim?" he asked.

"What?" Pepper asked, tearing her eyes away from the report in front of her.

"It used to be Colonel Rhodes," Tony informed her.

"Oh. Well. It was," she said turning her attention back to the report. "Now it's Jim."

"Hunh. Okay," he said. He sat for minute, staring out the window.

Pepper continued reading and then realized that it was far too quiet. She glanced over at him.

"Are you sulking?" she asked.

"No," Tony said far too quickly.

"You are. You're sulking because I call Colonel Rhodes 'Jim'," she said.

"Am not."

Pepper opened her mouth with the obvious rejoinder but caught herself and instead just smiled a little and went back to her report. It was quiet in the car again.

"You should try calling him 'sugar butt'," Tony said finally. "I tried once and he nearly decked me. He may let you get away with it."

"Tony, I'm not calling him 'sugar--'," Pepper struggled a little and finally settled on, "'sugar' -anything."

"Not even if I dared you?" Tony sing-songed. "Not even if I triple dog-dared you?"

"Not even then," Pepper said firmly.

Tony sighed.

"No one ever wants to play with me."


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Protect - Theme 097

Series: Tight Coupling

Rating: PG

Pairing: Tony/Pepper-ish, movieverse

Disclaimer: Still not mine. All Marvel's.

Summary: Motown, reciprocity and someone's gonna get fired.

A/N: So sorry this took so long. My muse decided to work on something else and I had to tie her down to work on this one.

Thank you so much to everyone who is following this and reviewing! Please, let me know what you think about this one.

Pepper waited for the elevator after her meeting with Adam Roberts, Stark Industries Executive Secretary. She sighed deeply.

Today had been the deadline for the departments to submit their new projections. Most of the departments were on schedule. Energy was blasting away at the new arc reactor and seemed very happy. The other standard departments, IT, Accounting, Public Relations, they were all fine. Telematics was not. The projection given wasn't even a projection. It was more like a list of complaints about the direction Stark Industries was heading. Pepper was now faced with the task of telling Tony all about the meeting and get his opinion on the future of most of these.

"Grand," she said to herself sarcastically.

The elevator pinged and the doors opened. She headed up to her floor.

Pepper exited the elevator and started to walk briskly to her desk when she realized that there was music being played incredibly loudly from Tony's office. While, loud music and Tony often went hand in hand, it tended to be either mullet rock or thrash metal.

Not the Greatest Hits of Mo-town.

Pepper exchanged humoring smiles with the secretary and steeling herself walked into Tony's office.

The man himself was standing at his desk and working on a 3D model of the miniature arc reactor.

And singing.

To the Four Tops if Pepper was correct.

She considered interrupting him, but decided that the view of an at-ease Tony Stark was too enjoyable to miss.

Tony walked around the model and looked up when he caught sight of Pepper standing in the doorway. He smiled. Pepper smiled back and told herself that the feeling in her stomach was only hunger pains and not butterflies at the sight of a genuine Tony Stark smile.

"Pepper!" he called. He grabbed a remote to turn down the music. "Why did no one tell how awesome this music is? I mean I suppose I must have known about it on some level. Everyone hears this stuff at some point in their lives. But the sheer awesomeness of it! Seriously, why did no one tell me?"

"Well, in order to tell you about it, you'd have to be able to hear them and considering your usual level of volume, I don't think anyone wanted to bother," she explained.

"Well, it's super," he said. "The music. I love it. So simple and yet, so meaningful."

"Really?" Pepper said coming to stand in front of his desk. She put down her paperwork and waited.

"You know 'Respect'? By Aretha Franklin?" he asked.

"Tony. Every woman is born knowing that song," she told him dryly.

"Ah, but do you know what it's about?" he asked with a little smile.

"Umm. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's about respect," she said.

"Nope," he said happily.

"No?" she said.

"Nope," he repeated.

"Okay," Pepper said cautiously. "What's it about then?"

Tony grinned.

"Sex."

Pepper blinked. Then laughed.

"Tony," she said. "Not everything is about sex you know."

"This is," he said still grinning.

"Tony," she sighed shaking her head.

"Think about it. 'Sock it me'? 'Profits'? 'Whip it to me'?" Tony explained. "It's all about reciprocity Miss Potts. Givin' it to her when he gets home."

Pepper just glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. Tony chuckled at her.

"Just when, exactly did you have time to figure this out today?" she asked. "Please tell me it wasn't while meeting with the Dean at the technical school."

"Ha! I figured this out a while ago actually," he said. "During a linear algebra class. The most useful thing I learned that week."

"My God, just how bored did you get in college?" she asked incredulously.

"Horribly. In fact I don't know how I managed before all this actually," Tony said.

"All this?" Pepper repeated.

"You know," he said eyes shining. "This. The suit. I'm doing something Pepper. Imagine that."

Tony shook his head and sat down at in front on his computer and logged in.

"So, how did your meeting go? Are all my little Stark ducks in a row?" he asked.

"Most of them," Pepper said. "A few have fallen a bit behind, but not irrevocably so. Accounting is pretty optimistic about the new investments. Umm, Telematics may be a problem though."

"Yeah?" Tony said furrowing his brow over a model. "How so?"

"They haven't come close to giving a clear projection. They've stopped work on their current projects and I've heard that quite a few of the team members are thinking of going elsewhere," she explained.

"Well, if that's the way they feel, let 'em," Tony said a bit carelessly. "We can hire new people."

"Tony, I don't think the team is the problem, it's the head," Pepper said with some effort. "He's the problem."

Tony huffed a little and threw down his pen and leaned back in his chair and focused on Pepper.

"Who's the head again?" Tony asked.

"Marcus Hake," Pepper told him.

"Ah," Tony said turning his chair to look out the window. "That explains it."

"Why? I didn't know you knew him," Pepper said coming around the desk to look at his profile.

Tony smirked humorlessly.

"He was one of Obie's finds. A wunderkind of sorts with small robotics," Tony explained. "Met him once. Obie was praising his talents. I wasn't actually listening."

He looked over at her.

"What's he done?" Tony asked.

"Well, like I said, he's managed to halt production on some of the projects that are still viable under the new brief, he hasn't complied with the timeline to suggest new avenues for the department to head down, he's supposedly not working very well with his team," Pepper paused for moment and then decided to fess up. "He may have said something a while ago that could have been construed as a threat. Or at least a warning. Or something."

"To who?" Tony asked.

"To who, what?" Pepper frowned.

"To who did he threaten?" he clarified.

Pepper frowned. "I don't think that was correct grammar."

"Potts," Tony said warningly.

"Oh. Ah, me actually," Pepper said wryly.

Tony tilted his head in a way that made Pepper want to retreat.

"What did he say?" Tony asked in a low tone. "Exactly."

"Just that there were several people that were unhappy with the way Stark Industries was moving and that I, we, should be aware of that," Pepper said. "I suppose, it wasn't what he said, just the way he said it."

"Fire him," Tony said.

"Tony," Pepper tried.

"No," he said decisively. "Fire him."

"That may just exascerbate the issue you know," Pepper tried again, knowing that he was probably right.

"Of course it will," he said. "However, it will get him off my property and out of my company. He can plot whatever little revenge scenario he wants, at least it will be away from here."

Pepper sighed. "To be honest, Adam and I had already come to the same conclusion. Adam will do it tomorrow."

"Good," Tony said. "It's a good department. There is always potential in GPS devices and data storage. I'm just not putting them in weapons anymore."

He swiveled his chair back to his desk so quickly Pepper took a step back.

"Get Adam to give the usual severance package and get the guy outta here," he told her. "No one threatens my staff and no one railroads production in my company."

He thought for second and then said, "Unless it's me."

"I'll call Adam," Pepper said. "Do you really think he'll plan some kind of revenge scenario?"

"Of course he will," Tony said pulling up a schematic on the screen. "He's the type. He's Obie's type. That serpentine quality attracted Obie like nothing else. Arrogant and brilliant. Naturally, nothing like your humble and affable boss."

"Oh, naturally," Pepper agreed.

"Anything else to report?" he asked.

"No, everything seems to be --,"

"Great!" Tony cut her off. "I am starving and those sandwiches they give you at these meetings are inedible."

"Oh, well," Pepper said. "I've got plenty to do here. I'll be at the house tomorrow morning. Have a nice afternoon Mr Stark."

Tony shook his head, as though he were clearing cobwebs away.

"What? No," he said standing up and smoothly taking her elbow. "Potts, you're coming with me. I have to eat something really bad for me and then expand my music collection. I'll need moral support for this. Come along."

"Tony," Pepper protested and tried to pull her elbow out of his grip. Which proved a bit futile. Honestly, when had the man developed all those muscles? "I really do have a lot to do here."

"Please, anything you have to do here you can do on your little PDA," he waved his hand as they emerged out of his office. "Or Jarvis can do it. We're playing hooky, so shush and come quietly."

Pepper swiftly grabbed her purse and some folders without losing a step and then said, "Anthony Stark if you ever 'shush' me again..."

"Promises, promises," Tony said.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Chapter 9 - 096 Motion  
Series: Tight Coupling  
Rating: PG  
Pairing: Tony/Pepper-ish, movieverse  
Word Count: 1887  
Disclaimer: Still not mine. All Marvel's.  
Summary: Panic buttons and valuable employees.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading and reviewing! I'm really enjoying writing this.

* * *

If asked, his co-workers would have probably said that Danny Morgan hadn't moved from his workstation in at least three days. In truth it was probably closer to four. He alternated between watching the stock ticker and tapping away on his computer. Late on the fourth day, he leaned back in his chair and went completely still. He looked down at the keyboard and then up at the stock ticker.

He sat back up abruptly and pulled up the Stark Industries Employee Directory onscreen and searched for Pepper Potts' phone number.

He found it and dialed. He tapped the edge of the desk as it rang. It took him to voicemail.

"Umm, Miss Potts. Pepper. This is Danny. Morgan. I. I need to speak to Mr Stark if possible. Or you. I think I've figured something out and if I'm right... Well, I just hope I'm not. Ahh, call me back please. Thank you."

He put the phone down and hoped he was wrong.

* * *

At the same time...

Pepper exited the elevator into the Stark Industries lobby. The striking older woman at the Information Desk smiled warmly at her.

"Hello dear, long day?" Bev asked with a sweet smile.

"Aren't they all?" Pepper replied. "How about you?"

"Oh, I'm having the time of my life. I've been sending all of the calls asking for Iron Man straight through to the PR department," Bev smiled wickedly. "I think they're going to ambush me later and string me up."

"I take it there's a lot of interest in Iron Man," Pepper said.

"Interest? Honey, I've got people asking to have his baby or could he possibly come and help retrieve their kitten/puppy/guppy out of a tree," Bev told her. "I haven't laughed so hard in ages."

"Well, at least that's something I guess," Pepper said laughing.

"And how is trouble?" Bev asked.

"Troublesome," Pepper stated.

Her Blackberry chimed from within her purse. She tried to rummage through her purse to find it while awkwardly holding her briefcase at the same time. She absently said 'Bye' to Bev at the information desk and could feel the PDA thrumming when suddenly,

"Miss Potts!" a man yelled.

Pepper let the Blackberry fall from her fingers and turned around to face Marcus Hake. The usually well-groomed young man had hair flying about his face and his tie was loose. The straps of his messenger bag had rucked up his jacket and shirt.

"Bev, call Security," Pepper murmured.

"Already done sweetie," Bev murmured back.

"Dr Hake," Pepper cautiously addressed him.

He raised his eyebrows as he approached her.

"Is this how it goes? You have Adam fire me?" Hake said casually. "I honestly expected something more dramatic."

"I understand that you may be upset.." Pepper tried to say.

"Upset?" he repeated smiling calmly. "Not at all. I'm relieved to be honest."

"Oh?" Pepper said steadily. She could see a security guard coming close out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, of course Pepper. Stark Industries isn't the only company out there. I'll easily land on my feet," Hake broke off slightly to look at the security guard with an amused expression. He turned back to Pepper and smiled. "The things I'll be able to do. You really have no idea."

Hake turned to the security guard.

"Just saying farewell to a co-worker I promise," he reassured the guard. He turned back to Pepper.

He held out his hand for Pepper to shake. Pepper eyed it. Then reached out to take it. The grip was a bit too firm and her eyes snapped up to Hake's. His smile wasn't quite so calm anymore.

"The things I'll be able to do," he repeated quietly. He let her hand go. "Be seeing you Miss Potts. My regards to Mr Stark of course."

Marcus Hake nodded to Bev and the guard and calmly walked out of the lobby.

"You know, I was half hoping he'd say we'd rue the day we let him go," Bev remarked dryly.

Pepper chuckled a bit and grasped her briefcase tightly.

* * *

It wasn't until she arrived at the Stark Mansion and was walking inside that she realised she'd missed a call earlier. She wandered into the living room and began to rummage through her purse again. She was so lost in the action she didn't hear Tony come up behind her.

"Busy day Miss Potts?"

"Sweet Jesus!" she yelled and whirled around to glare at the man. "What?! Don't do that! What is wrong with you?"

"With me?" Tony said innocently pointing to his chest. He was clad in his usual uniform of dirty wife-beater and jeans, the arc-reactor glowing cheerfully through the ripped hole. "There's not a thing wrong with me. I'm not the one who was manhandled in the lobby of my building."

"What are you talking about?" Pepper said, wondering who told him about Hake.

"Oh? Not remembering are we?" he said sarcastically. "Let me help. I get a call from security telling me that a recently fired employee left in a bit of a huff but not before he accosted my assistant. Sound familiar?"

Pepper realised that at some point her jaw had dropped. She quickly shut it and swallowed.

"Bernie called you?" she asked.

"No, he called - wait his name is Bernie? Who names their kid Bernie? And no, Jarvis took the call. So, let's see. Bernie calls Jarvis, who in turn tells me. So that makes me what?" Tony asked her, his face suddenly resembling the mask he occasionally wears.

"Umm, informed?" Pepper guessed.

"Aaanh!" he said loudly. "Wrong answer. It makes me the last to know! Why is that Miss Potts?"

"Okay! Stop. First," Pepper said holding up a hand and frowning. "He didn't accost me. He approached me and said a few cryptic things about how he was actually relieved to be leaving and that he was free to do anything thing now. Then he shook my hand. Then he left. That's it. No one was accosted and I was planning on telling you about it at some point."

"At some point? Yeah, not good enough Potts," Tony said. He studied her. Actually swiped his eyes all along the length of her body. If she hadn't recognised the determined I've-got-a-puzzle-I'm-going-to-figure-out look in his eyes, she might have blushed at the studied look he gave her. (oh, who was she kidding? She blushed.) He reached for her purse. "Hand over the purse Pepper."

"What? Tony Stark stop it!" she spluttered and they began a tug of war over her simple black purse. "See, this is accosting!"

Tony manoeuvred his fingers under hers and managed to unhand the purse in a few seconds.

"Ha!" he yelled in triumph. He hurried to the stairs leading down to his workshop. He hit a few buttons absently on the keypad and practically ran down the stairs.

Pepper stared after him for a second and then walked briskly over to the glass door and entered her security code. Nothing happened. Pepper stared at the door. She blinked and tried again. Again, nothing happened.

"Jarvis?" she called out calmly.

"Yes Miss Potts?" he answered.

"Is there any particular reason that my security code isn't working?" she asked.

"Yes, there is a reason Miss Potts," the AI answered.

Pepper waited. Then gritting her teeth asked, "May I have the reason please?"

"Tony asked me to keep you out Miss Potts," he said. "I do apologize."

"Right. Jarvis?" Pepper said.

"Yes Miss Potts?"

"If you do not unlock this door in under 15 seconds, I swear to you I will play the dance scene from _Short Circuit_," Pepper informed him. "Repeatedly."

Silence.

Then the keypad beeped and the door opened.

"Thank you Jarvis," Pepper said. She stormed down the stairs and walked over to the worktable where Tony was leaning over what looked like the taken apart insides of her Blackberry.

"What have you done?" she gasped.

"Jarvis, I thought I told you to keep her out," Tony said.

"She threatened me with Johnny 5 and the Bee-Gees, Tony, " Jarvis said. "I may be a highly advanced Artificial Intelligence being, but I'm not invulnerable."

"Completely useless," Tony muttered.

"Tony, what are you doing?" Pepper asked.

"I've added an alarm to this. A panic button of sorts," he said. He carefully put all the pieces back together and snapped everything into place and then handed it to her. Pepper gingerly held the Blackberry and looked at it. Then she looked up at him.

"Just press the 'q' and 'w' at the same time and someone will be there," he explained.

"Someone?" she said arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, someone," Tony said suddenly turning away and straightening up his tools, as though he was uncomfortable. "But it only works if you push it."

Pepper watched his face as he put various things into drawers and then she looked back down at the PDA in her hand.

"Tony," she said softly.

"Hey," he said still arranging the tools. "Don't think this is anything special. I'd do this for any of my employees."

"Is that right?" Pepper said trying not to smile like an idiot.

"Absolutely. Bertha? In HR? Last week," he told her.

"Bertha retired five years ago," she informed him.

"Point is, you should be safe," he said finally turning back to her and catching her eyes. "You're a valuable employee Pepper."

"Well, thank you Mr Stark," Pepper said with a small quirk of her lips.

"You're welcome Miss Potts," he grinned back.

Pepper turned to head back upstairs with her new and improved Blackberry.

"Oh, hey," Tony called. "You might be missing a few of your newer messages. Sorry 'bout that."

Pepper frowned as she headed up the stairs. Then shrugged. If it was important, they'd call her back.

* * *

Danny Morgan paced back and forth in his apartment. He checked his phone again for any messages, even though he hadn't let it out of his sight all evening. He walked over to his work station and sat down. Then stood back up. He headed towards the door when his phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered quickly without looking at the caller id.

He froze at the sound of the voice on the other end. He swallowed heavily.

"You," his voice broke a bit. "You shouldn't have used it. I know you did."

He listened to the answer and then shaking his head said, "No. It wasn't ready. And it wasn't supposed to be used like that."

He paused again.

"I don't care about the money! I've stopped work on it. It's not going to be finished and I'll make sure no one ever finds it."

He listened to the other person. His hands began to shake.

"You wouldn't dare. I've already told other people about it. Whatever issues you're having now is not my problem. It can't predict everything!"

He paced the length of his room again listening.

"Look!" he said loudly. "Don't threaten me! I'm hanging up!"

Danny turned off the phone and looked blindly around his room. His gaze landed on a pair of glasses next to his computer. He walked over and picked them up. Danny collapsed into his chair and stared blankly at the wall, phone in one hand, the glasses in the other.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Constant - Theme 066

Series: Tight Coupling

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1329

Summary: God, he could really go for a Jamocha shake right about now.

Disclaimer: Not mine. sigh

A/N: I am so sorry about the delay. Real life has been a bit too real lately. I've got the next couple of chapters planned so updates should be a bit better. Major massive thank you's to everyone reading and reviewing. Y'all are wonderful!

* * *

The picture Tony Stark was currently making was actually a very familiar one: the crisp suit with a rumpled tie, his hair slightly tousled, and tumbler in his hands. And actually, if anyone cared to look closer, they might have noticed that his eyes were brighter and more focused than previous and the liquid in the tumbler was in fact, club soda. However, the crowd at the event was whispering about him as usual, however instead of the tried and true gossip about his billions or his bedmates, the gossip consisted of his ability to now fly about in a metal suit.

However, as a veteran of these such gatherings (he was currently attending an anniversary gala at one of Stark Industries sister companies, well, he thought that was where he was. Pepper had dragged him away from the suit two hours earlier and threw him into the car and then Happy drove. Actually for all he knew he may not even be in California anymore.) he knew that the speculation would continue no matter how many press releases went out and no matter how many times he avoided the casual, but not really, questions from people. So he did what Tony Stark did best.

He teased. He flirted. He never gave definite answers to questions and just kept smiling. And counting the minutes until he could escape back to his workshop. Tony's left Jarvis in charge of modifying one of the GPS systems and wanted to get home to test it out. He glanced at his watch and rolled his eyes when he realized that he had at least thirty minutes to go.

Tony sipped his drink and really wished he could have talked Pepper or Rhodey into attending. He surveyed the crowd and came to three conclusions.

1. He was pretty sure that the blonde at the bar was very willing to let him find if she was a natural blonde.  
2. He really was pretty sure that the new calibrations on the suit would allow him to fly for at least three times longer than he was currently flying.  
And...  
3. The loud group of businessmen to his left were talking about Stark Industries and not in completely glowing terms.

Tony downed the rest of his club soda and sauntered over. He kept his face deliberately open and blank as he subtly joined the circle of men. As he expected the gentlemen just moved aside and while they all recognized him, only a few looked uncomfortable at being caught badmouthing Stark Industries. The rest just kept talking.

"Well, Stan over at Davies and Davies says they're never going to recover from last year," a small man with an unfortunate orange bow-tie was saying. "They've been supplying Stark Industries for over a decade now and their contract was terminated three months ago. Not to mention all their shares that they lost."

Bow-tie's eyes flicked over to Tony's and then away.

"Like I said," he continued. "Who knows what they'll do now."

"What do you think Stark?" a large man with a red face asked. "Plenty of folks lost out on Stark Industries this year."

"Well, yes," Tony said. "Of course they did. Nature of the beast and all that gentlemen. Of course, some companies may have done worse than others," Tony deliberately looked Bow-tie in the eyes. "And this was despite the rather large commissions and recommendations they might have received on behalf of their long-standing relationship with Stark Industries, which if handled responsibly would have carried them through any downturn the stock market may have thrown at them."

Tony smirked at the man who was slowly reddening in the face.

"They aren't the only ones who've lost out Mr Stark," Bow-tie replied. "A number of companies expected to do well this year and Stark Industries has let them down."

"Well, that's the risk everyone takes in the business world, I'm surprised I'd have to remind you of this fellas," Tony said.

"There are a few people that are upset at more than just stock numbers Stark," the red-faced man said with narrowed eyes. "Obadiah has been greatly missed these last few months."

The smirk on Tony's face froze.

"Yes, he certainly has been... missed," Tony said quietly.

"In fact, his disappearance was rather, inopportune," red-face continued. "If the circumstances weren't so, ah, tragic, you might say folks were mighty upset with Obie."

"Well, they're not the only ones," Tony said in a fake bright voice. He felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. He fished it out. Pepper's face flashed at him. "If you'll excuse me."

Tony walked away quickly and answered the phone.

"Potts, you have timing worthy of Rolex," Tony said as he headed towards an empty alcove.

"That bad Mr Stark?" Pepper remarked.

"Worse," Tony said. "I forget, am I supposed to be angry, sad or flippant about the death of Obidiah Stane? I honestly can't remember anymore."

There was a slight pause, then Pepper said softly, "I think you can be any of the above Tony. Maybe even a few others for good measure."

Tony closed his eyes and smiled a little. "Good answer Miss Potts."

He heard a sigh of relief on the other end and Tony cleared his throat.

"So, what's up?" he asked.

"Well, Jarvis thought you'd like to know that the modifications are finished on the suit," she said briskly. "And..."

Tony waited.

"And..?" he prompted.

"And I figured you could use an interruption right about now," she said. "Call it assistant's intuition."

"Well, thank you Miss Potts," Tony said. "Actually I've got a job for you. I need you to get me the complete guest list of everyone here and cross reference it with any companies Stark Industries may have done business with in the last 20 years."

"Of course, may I ask why?" she asked.

"Just curious. Can you also check to see how many of those companies have lost a substantial amount of money in the last year?" Tony went on.

"Lost money... As a result of Stark Industries or just in general?" Pepper said.

"Clever girl. Both actually," Tony said. "Oh and get the geek squad in Accounting to send me the latest stock forecasts."

"Don't call them that. Do I need to remind you that I used to work for the geek squad?" Pepper told him.

"Oooh, did you wear horn-rimmed glasses?" he asked.

"No," she said.

"Pocket protector?" he tried again.

"I don't think anyone's worn a pocket protector since 1995," Pepper informed him.

"You're single-handedly destroying all my fantasies here Potts," Tony said. "Humor me and say that Excel turns you on."

"Well, I have always liked managing assets," she said.

Tony laughed out loud.

"Pepper Potts," he admonished. "Just when I think I've got you figured out."

"Stark!" a voice called.

Tony turned to look as a very tall Southern CEO that was hosting the event headed his way.

"Stark! I need you to settle a bet for these folks over here!" he called.

"Be right there Charlie!" Stark called back. He lowered his voice. "I'm being summoned by Foghorn Leghorn. Look call me again in five minutes with an emergency and get me out of here."

"An emergency? What kind of emergency?" Pepper asked sounding far too amused.

"Anything! Flash flood, earthquake, rampaging moose," he said quickly.

"Wow. We're actually talking rampaging moose level of badness are we?" she replied.

"Yes! Call me back!" Tony said before snapping his phone shut.

He headed towards the crowd Charlie had around him, wishing, and not for the first time, that they served chocolate milkshakes or Red Bull. If he had to go without alcohol, a healthy stimulant would be a welcome substitute. God, he could really go for a Jamocha shake right about now.

He pasted a grin on his face as he joined the group and muttered to himself, "Come on Potts, save my ass again."

It wasn't more than two minutes later that the people standing next to him jumped when his phone vibrated loudly against the metal of the arc reactor. The crowd at large was then taken aback at the huge smile that broke across his face when he answered and then again at the way he practically skipped out of the room on what he labeled an emergency.

Apparently Iron Man was needed to help an escaped animal from the zoo.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Warm - Theme 027  
Series: Tight Coupling  
Rating: PG  
Word Count: 1596  
Disclaimer: All Marvel's. Not mine.  
Summary: "Do you want to hear what I found out about those companies or do you want to continue to steal my food?" Pepper asked.

A/N: Thank you so very, very much to everyone who has left reviews. It makes me walk on air for days afterwards.

* * *

To say that Tony Stark flew home from the gala, would of course, be exaggerating. And false. Not, however, impossible. But he didn't have the suit on him (Potential new function #189 - how to have it nearby at all times.). So, while he didn't fly, he did drive really, really fast.

Pepper saw the car pull into the garage and she started to count down from 60. She'd reached 15 when Iron Man flew straight out of the garage opening. She blinked and watched the blue light of his arc reactor disappear into the night sky.

"Only took him 45 seconds," she mused.

"47.325 seconds Miss Potts," Jarvis corrected her. "And to be honest, I'd already had the suit ready. All Tony had to do was stand still."

Pepper smiled. "Not the easiest thing for him to do is it?"

"No," the AI replied with a sigh. "However, I only had to admonish him three times instead of the usual five. He was quite eager to test the modifications."

"Where is he now?" Pepper asked as she sank onto the couch.

"Hovering over the interstate. Now he's headed out to the coastline and is skirting the Pacific Coast Highway," Jarvis told her. "He plans to head northeast and maneuver over the Rockies."

Pepper smiled.

"I'll hold off on ordering take-out," she said.

"That may be best," Jarvis agreed.

* * *

Three hours later Tony emerged from his workshop exhausted and very satisfied with the latest upgrades to the suit to find Pepper perched on a stool at the kitchen island with cartons of Chinese food and her laptop laid out in front of her. She was frowning at the laptop and making notes.

"Is that Bamboo Garden?" Tony asked. He wandered over and reached for one of the boxes when chopsticks came out of nowhere to rap him on the knuckles. "Ow! Hey!"

"That is mine," Pepper said calmly. "The other five are yours."

"Did you get those little red bean puff ball things?" he asked sitting on a stool and pulling the boxes towards him.

"They're called steamed buns, and yes I did," she said. "However, they only had one coconut one left, so we may have to fight over it later."

"Awesome," was the reply and Tony dug into the nearest carton and started shoveling noodles into his mouth. Pepper shook her head and picked up her carton and began to eat.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, Pepper still looking over lists and Tony focusing on how he could wrangle an extra spring roll without Pepper noticing, when a thought occurred to him.

"Hey," he said, Pepper looked up from her laptop. "I could actually get Chinese food from China now. You know, 'cause I can fly now."

"Well, yes," Pepper said. "Theoretically. However, it might be a bit cold by the time you got back. Do you have any spare room in the suit to put take-out? It's a snug fit as it is."

Tony's eyes lit up and Pepper groaned internally.

_Never, ever give him an opening like that_, she scolded herself. _Never!_

"Why Miss Potts! You been checkin' out my suit?" Tony asked.

Pepper blushed and set her jaw.

"No," she said firmly.

"You're blushing," he said.

"It's the General Tzo's I just ate," Pepper said.

"You're eating sweet and sour chicken," he observed.

"Well, it's more sour than sweet," she said matter-of-factly.

"Really?" Tony asked. He leaned over and speared a piece of breaded chicken and and immersed it in the red sauce. Then, without breaking eye contact with her, put the food in his mouth leaving his bottom lip slightly red with sauce. He chewed and then smirked.

"Tastes pretty sweet to me," he said.

He licked his lips and grinned.

"You're a very bad man," Pepper informed him.

"Actually, according to Esquire, I'm a brilliant and charming rogue with a Peter Pan complex, Miss Potts," Tony replied.

"Do you want to hear what I found out about those companies or do you want to continue to steal my food?" Pepper asked.

"Oh, I'm sure I'm capable of doing both," he reassured her. "Hit me. What'd you find out?"

"Well, turns out that 94 of the companies present at the gala have Stark Industries stock," she said. "And everyone took a loss last quarter after your announcement. But, nothing that wasn't offset by their other investments."

She absently reached for a spring roll while looking at the numbers on her screen. Tony pushed the carton closer to her without a word.

"Fifteen companies didn't send a representative this evening," she continued. "But out of all 250 companies invited, five of them suffered massive set backs in the last few months."

Pepper glanced at him and Tony nodded for her to continue.

"Davies and Davies were one, which we already knew about. There was a smaller company that manufactured a synthetic paint used on the missiles, that had to declare bankruptcy," Pepper told him scrolling down the page and absently munching on the roll. "But, that was actually more due their internal management problems, not Stark Industries. The remaining three however..."

"Completely and totally due to Stark Industries, right?" Tony finished.

"I'm afraid so," Pepper said. She straightened up from being hunched over the computer and watched him stab his chopsticks into his chow mein.

"How and who?" he asked finally.

"Standish Metals, Lloyds and Sons and Boulder Manufacturing. They made the mistake of buying a lot of Stark Industries stock during your, um... absence," she said. Pepper looked up to gauge his reaction. Tony met her gaze with a raised eyebrow. "You have to understand, while you were gone, Obi- Mr Stane kept reassuring people that Stark Industries would continue to manufacture weapons. It was business as usual."

Pepper took a deep breath and chuckled a little, realizing that she still had a hard time saying the phrase that PR had drilled into her brain during those awful three months. She shook her head and found she really didn't want to finish the last half of her spring roll.

"Stocks actually did okay while you were gone," she told him. "Immediately after the news reported you were missing, people sold. But then, just as quickly people bought those stocks. Stark Industries continued to manufacture along the same avenues that it always had."

"Life goes on and all that?" Tony said.

"Well," Pepper said as she looked at the unfinished roll in her hand. "In a way."

Tony reached over and plucked the roll from her fingers, dipped it into the cooled sweet and sour sauce and popped it in his mouth. Then grinned.

The tension Pepper hadn't even been conscious of in her shoulders disappeared immediately.

"You're terrible," she said groaning at him. "Stealing food right out of my hands."

"Hey," he responded. "I told you I could do both."

Pepper could only shake her head. Tony kept the grin on his face as he rooted around the cartons for the buns.

"Look, find out all you can on those companies. Especially who was at the thing tonight," he said. "I've got a couple of faces I'd like to match up. How are those forecasts I asked for?"

"I left a message for Cummings to call me in the morning with them," Pepper said as she closed up her laptop.

Tony, about to take a large bite out of the bun he found, looked up with a frown.

"Why can't I have them now?" he asked.

"Because, it's 11 o'clock at night and most people aren't actually umbilically attached to their work," Pepper told him.

"It's 11? Seriously?" Tony looked shocked. "Well, what are you doing in here? Daily Show's on."

"I'm TiVoing it," she said. "I'll watch it when I get home. I'll be back early. You've got another trial run with the generators at the lab."

"I know, I know, 9:15 am sharp. And TiVoing the Daily Show? I see how it is. You're leaving me to go be alone with Jon Stewart," Tony said. "I think I'm hurt."

"I think you'll manage," Pepper said scooping up her laptop and her bag on the floor.

"Well, say hello to Jon for me and watch out for that Colbert fellow, I hear he's grabby," Tony said.

"Thanks for the warning," she said with a small smile. "Good night Tony."

"Night Pepper," he said. She headed towards the front door. He called out after her, "Pepper?"

"Yes?" she said turning.

He leaned against the wall of the foyer and traced a finger on the edge of the painting and didn't meet her eyes.

"While I was gone," he said and then stopped. He seemed to struggle to get the words out and then settled on. "'Business as usual' was the motto was it?"

Pepper waited until he raised his eyes to meet hers. She smiled a little ruefully and said, "Not for all of us."

Tony grinned back.

"Will that be all Mr Stark?" she asked.

"That'll be all Miss Potts," Tony said. He turned around and sauntered towards his workshop. "Have fun with the Comedy Central boys."

Pepper headed home.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 - Gift, Theme 072  
Series: Tight Coupling  
Rating: PG  
Word Count: 1572  
Disclaimer: Still not mine and all Marvel's.

Summary: Pepper cringed and leaned back in her chair as she opened the case. It popped open on its hinges easily. Pepper blinked at the sight on the contents.

A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. And I thank everyone for reviewing! You are all very, very lovely and I really appreciate you leaving me a line to let me know what you think. Thank you so much!

"Pepper Potts," Pepper said distractedly as she answered the phone on her desk at Stark Industries, her eyes on the news reports on the computer screen in front of her.

"Miss Potts! Ed Cummings here," a friendly voice informed her.

"Oh Dr. Cummings," she said tearing her attention away from the screen. "Thank you for contacting me. Mr. Stark would like to have the latest stock forecasts sent up to take a look at."

"Yes, I got your message," the accountant said. "We're putting them together right now. May I ask though, is there something wrong?"

"Oh no," Pepper reassured him. "He's just wanting to satisfy his curiosity."

"Well, we're happy to comply," Cummings said. "I have to say, the whole company's all aflutter at his apparent interest in the goings-on at Stark Industries."

Pepper smiled ruefully and started to skim the news articles again.

"Yes, I imagine they are."

"Well, I'll have the reports emailed up to you immediately. Would you like one of us to come up to go over any of it?" he asked.

"Oh, I think I can manage, thank you," she told him. "If not, I'll call Danny."

"Oh. Yes. Well," Dr. Cummings hesitated. "Actually, Mr. Morgan isn't in today."

Pepper stopped skimming. "Oh. Is he ill?"

"Well, possibly," he said. "To be honest Pepper, I haven't seen him since day before yesterday."

"It isn't like him to miss a day of work," Pepper frowned.

"No, I was quite surprised to not see him yesterday. However, his co-workers tell me he'd been working for the last four days straight with almost no breaks," he explained. "It's entirely possible he's crashed, as they say, on his couch at home. I'll try calling him later today."

"Well, please keep me posted," Pepper said.

"Will most certainly do Pepper," Dr. Cummings reassured her.

"Thank you for the reports," she said before hanging up.

Pepper continued her perusal of the news and kept an eye on her inbox for the forecasts.

"Excuse me, Miss Potts?" a voice interrupted her.

She looked up. The young mail clerk was standing in door to her office. Pepper smiled at the young man.

"Oh, sorry, yes?" she said.

"I've got a delivery for you," he said coming towards her desk with a padded envelope.

"Mr Stark's mail is usually given to Ann up front," she said with a smile and a glance at his nametag, "Andy."

"Oh, no. This is for you," he said handing her the hard envelope.

"For me?" Pepper said confused. She took the package. "Thank you."

"Sure thing," Andy said. He turned and headed back to his cart.

Pepper quickly looked over the envelope and called out, "Andy! Just a sec, there's no return address on this. Did it go through the security check?"

"Yes ma'am," Andy reassured her. "New protocol. Every little bit of mail gets scanned and sent through security. Twice! Nothing gets through now."

"Okay, thank you," she said. Andy smiled again started to push his trolley back down the hall. Pepper looked down at the envelope she held in her hands.

It was a plain, white legal sized padded envelope. Her name was printed neatly in all capital letters in black ink. And absolutely no return address. There was a solid rectangular shape inside. She squeezed the envelope gingerly. Then sighed.

"Right. Here goes," she said pulling the 'pull here' tab.

Pepper looked inside and feeling extremely confused, reached in and pulled out an eyeglasses case. A simple, nondescript black case. For glasses.

"I swear to God, Anthony Stark if you are pranking me," Pepper warned under her breath.

She cringed and leaned back in her chair as she opened the case. It popped open on its hinges easily. Pepper blinked at the sight on the contents.

Plain, black rimmed eyeglasses.

"What?" Pepper said aloud. She lifted them out of the case. They were slightly heavier than a regular pair of glasses. Pepper unfolded them and inspected the rims. The earpieces looked to be specially fitted for comfort and stability. One arm had tiny silver buttons that clicked softly as she pushed them, but nothing happened. Pepper hesitated and then lifted them to her eyes. She discovered that the lenses were a crystal clear glass and were neither concave or convex. They were simply glass lenses.

Pepper put the glasses down on her desk.

"What?" she said again softly. Then something sparked her memory. She let out a huff and a "Oh for heaven's sake," and grabbed her phone. She pressed speed dial. She was just figuring out the message she was going to leave in his voicemail when the phone was actually answered with a,

"Potts, what's up?" Tony answered.

"Oh nothing," she said flustered. "I mean... That is... Why are you answering your phone?"

Silence greeted her. Then was followed by a snort of laughter.

"Because it rang?" he explained slowly.

"Of course, right," she said. She picked up the glasses again and twirled them experimentally. They really were heavier than regular glasses.

"Pepper, is everything okay?" Tony asked.

"Yes, it's fine. Just," she took a deep breath. "Did you really feel the need to expand on that little fantasy of yours by sending me actual glasses?"

"What?" Tony said.

Pepper sighed heavily.

"Last night? Teasing me about working in Accounting? Asking if I wore glasses?" she reminded him. "Well, the glasses have just arrived and I don't think I'll be wearing them anytime soon, so if a pocket protector is on it's way, be assured that it will probably go in the trash."

Once again there was silence on the other end.

"Tony? Did you hear me?" she asked.

"Ye-es, yes, I did," Tony answered. "I didn't understand you, but I did hear you."

"The glasses, Tony," Pepper said. "I'm not wearing them."

"Pepper," he began. She heard a sigh. "Pepper, I didn't send you any glasses."

"What do you mean? Of course you did. They're right here," she told him.

"And _I_ mean that I didn't send you any," Tony told her.

Pepper looked at the glasses. Suddenly the weight of them was extremely heavy in her hand.

"You didn't send me the black rimmed glasses that I'm holding in my hand," she stated.

"No, I really didn't," he said. "Someone sent you glasses? Eyeglasses? For seeing?"

"Yes," she said. Pepper swallowed. "Tony?"

"Call security right away and have them scanned," he ordered.

"They've already been scanned," she said quietly. "New protocol. Every piece of mail gets scanned twice before delivery."

"I don't like it," he said. "Why the hell are you being sent eyeglasses? Have them scanned again."

"Fine, I'll head down now," Pepper said. She folded the glasses up and put them in their case. They looked innocuous enough. "It's probably nothing you know. Some joke or something."

"I'm curious about the punchline though," Tony said. "Scan them again and then bring them to the house and I'll have Jarvis look at them."

"Sure, I'll see you later. Oh, and," she said sheepishly. "Sorry I accused you of sending them to me."

"Hey, it's a logical assumption," he said easily, chuckling.

Pepper chuckled too.

"Although, if I were to ever send you anything that had anything to do with any type of hypothetical fantasy I may or may not have entertained about you," Tony said.

"Yes?" Pepper said cautiously.

"Rest assured," he continued in a deeper voice. "The glasses would have been horn-rimmed."

Two hours later found Pepper driving out to Stark Mansion. The glasses, along with their case, had been sent through an X-ray machine, examined by five different inspectors and even dusted for fingerprints. And aside from Pepper's, none were present.

They did find one thing.

A small, white piece of paper was wedged in the bottom half of the case under the thin velvet. It had a single line on it, typed:

_Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons._

A quick Google search found the quote and it's original author, Pythagoras. Pepper had laughed it off with the security detail, but inside she knew that this was a message. Not only for her, but for Tony as well.

As she drove through the winding roads of Malibu, the glasses, case and quote in her bag on the seat next to her, and the sun reflecting brightly off the ocean below, she finally allowed herself to wonder.

Who on earth would bother to send her a pair of eyeglasses that appeared to have no actual purpose? Why include a quote by Pythagoras of all people? And finally, why did this person take even more trouble to remain completely anonymous?

Not for the first time, Pepper wondered who this person was and if they were planning to cause trouble for Tony or if they themselves were the one in trouble.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - Tease, Theme 032

Series: Tight Coupling

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1428

Disclaimer: Not mine, all Marvel's.

Summary: "Why do I feel like we're in the middle of some kind of caper?" she asked.

A/N: Happy Halloween everyone! Thank you again so much to everyone who has left a review or comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think!

* * *

Chapter 13

There was mostly silence in the workshop. And if there was a slight edge to the silence, well no one was mentioning it.

The glasses were resting on one of Tony's worktops. A small beam of light emitted from one of the robots was slowly and methodically tracing the shape of the glasses.

Pepper was perched on a stool at a nearby table and was finally going over the hard copies of the stock forecasts Dr. Cummings had emailed over to her. She'd kicked her shoes off and was making notes. Every now and then she'd look over at the scanning process. And very definitely not look over at Tony.

Tony was down in the pit manually adjusting one of the arms that fitted his suit.

Well, not completely down. The lower half of his body was lying flat on the garage floor while the upper half was submerged under one of the flaps.

When Pepper had commented on the potentiality for decapitation, Tony had laughed and called her an adorable worrywart. Pepper had taken slight offense at the use of a word that should only be applied to people over the age of seventy. Tony then called her ageist and that was when Pepper decided to just stop speaking to him, because he was obviously in a teasing mood and Tony Stark in a teasing mood generally ended with Pepper wanting to throw large objects at his head and a reverse head rush from all of the blushing she tended to engage in.

So she was quietly doing her job and waiting on Jarvis' verdict regarding the glasses and not looking over at the bottom half of her boss.

It didn't help that the jeans he was currently sporting were faded in the most interesting of places and since that was the only part of his body that was visible at present, she was most certainly not going to ogle the right pocket area where the fabric was so worn down she could possibly make out the edge of his boxer briefs and, seriously, she was not looking.

She re-focused on the November/December trends.

"Miss Potts," Jarvis called.

Pepper raised her head and winced when she heard Tony's head hit the flap above him. She proceeded to ignore the profanity that followed.

"Yes Jarvis? Is the scan finished?" she asked.

"Yes. The purpose for these particular spectacles is for seeing," the AI informed her.

"Seeing?" Pepper repeated, ignoring the snort of derision and sounds of a person trying to emerge from underneath a metal flap.

"Jarvis, correct me if I'm wrong," Pepper said carefully. "But aren't most spectacles used for 'seeing'?"

"That is the traditional purpose," Jarvis said. "Perhaps I should have been more specific."

"That would be very helpful," Pepper said.

"They are used for seeing something quite specific: information. These are augmented reality glasses," the AI. "They overlay data on the tangible world. In fact I believe Stark Industries may have manufactured this pair."

The AI paused.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised that Security did not immediately pick up on their function," Jarvis said in a disappointed tone.

"I remember those," Tony said from right beside Pepper. She jumped slightly. When had he become so quiet? "Called 'em InfoVision, Vision Seekers, something like that."

"InfoVisors, actually. However, the current holographic CAD systems are much more fluid and elegant," Jarvis continued. "Therefore, production on the previous model ceased."

"Well, that answers that," Tony said leaning against the table next to Pepper.

Pepper looked at him questioningly. She leaned an elbow on the table and mimicked his posture.

"You mean, go over a list of people who purchased a pair," she said. "And cross reference that with anyone who may want to send a message to me?"

"Ding, ding, ding, Miss Potts," he said. "Jarvis, tell her what she's won."

Silence.

"May I presume that this is another one of those pop culture references I haven't had uploaded yet?" Jarvis queried.

Tony sighed and hung his head in defeat.

"Never mind Jarvis, could you download a list of people and companies that purchased the InfoVisors?" Pepper asked.

"Certainly Miss Potts, it should only take me approximately thirty minutes," the AI replied.

Pepper looked at the bent head of her boss.

"Why do I feel like we're in the middle of some kind of caper?" she asked.

Tony lifted his head and met her gaze with a grin.

"Oh come on Miss Potts," he said. "Tell me you don't like playing girl detective?"

Pepper blushed and looked away quickly.

"Oh my," Tony said with interest. He leaned closer. "There's a story here isn't there? 'Fess up Pepper. Nobody here but us superheroes and his trusty gang of robots."

Despite her blush, Pepper glared at him and then sighed heavily.

"I may or may not have gone as Nancy Drew a few times for Halloween," she confessed. "And two of my male friends may or may not have gone as the Hardy Boys."

Tony's mouth twitched.

"Nancy Drew?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I had the titian-colored hair to go along with the costume. And I'd read most of the classics."

Tony nodded in understanding and said with a sincere tone, "Well, she is considered to be a very good role model for young girls."

He grinned at her. Pepper rolled her eyes and slid off the stool to retrieve the glasses. The garage floor was cool against herbare feet and she rose onto the balls of her feet to avoid the chill.

"Did you ever go as Daphne from Scooby-Doo?" he asked as he followed her with a spring in his step. "I mean, let's face it, along with the requisite red hair, you've really got the legs for it."

"Excuse me?" Pepper said as she turned around, glasses in hand, eyes wide open and trying to determine if it was embarrassment or aggravation that was causing her to blush this time.

"Oh wait," Tony said making a face. "I can't say that, can I?"

"No," she said flatly. "No, you really can't."

"Right," he said slouching and sounding disappointed.

Pepper opened her mouth to say something, thought better of it and decided instead to look for the case the glasses came in. She spotted it over on the table next to her papers. She walked briskly towards them, the effect being diminished somewhat by the lack of sound of her bare feet made.

"Maybe it's not a caper," Tony said as he continued to follow her.

"Oh I see," Pepper thought as she picked up the case. "We're ignoring it."

"Maybe, we're in a noir," he suggested. "Do you smoke?"

"Not since freshman year of college," she said with a snap of the case and turned to face him.

"Oh well," Tony said. "Wouldn't that be great? To be Sam Spade and lurk in dark alleys? Get into trouble with a beautiful woman? Drink hard liquor 24/7 and have a perpetual hangover?"

Pepper just raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm sober today," he informed her. "I always wanted a tan trench coat too. Or a pin striped fedora."

His face took on a far away quality. Pepper shook her head and slipped her feet back into her shoes and began to gather the forecast together. She'd go over them carefully upstairs and leave Tony to his repairs.

"I'm going upstairs," Pepper told Tony. "I need to make some calls. When do you want to go over the latest trends?"

"Later," Tony said abruptly emerging from his noir daydream. "I have to finish up here."

Pepper nodded and asked, "Will that be all Mr Stark?"

"That's all Miss Potts," he said heading back over to the pit. He grabbed a pair of pliers and knelt down to descend again under the flap.

She turned to leave and was almost to the stairs when she had a thought.

"Tony?" she called out. He lifted his head and looked at her.

"If this is a noir," she told him in a serious tone. "The second I'm referred to as a broad or a dame, I'm walking."

Tony grinned.

"You got it doll face," he said.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Sight, Theme 091

Series: Tight Coupling

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1080

Disclaimer: Not mine, all Marvel's.

Summary: And if there was one thing that the new and improved Tony hated above anything else, it was being in the dark.

Holy 102 reviews Batman! (Sorry, wrong superhero.) I can only say that the response to this story has been simply wonderful and I thank everyone who has reviewed for their very, very thoughtful words.

I can then, only apologize for the delay in posting this chapter and the shortness of it. I participated in NaNoWriMo last month, but am finished now and will do my best to get back to updating regularly. That being said, I'm off to visit all the parental units over the holidays, so we'll see if I get access to a computer.

Once again, thank you very much to everyone who has reviewed. You really inspire me to keep going!

* * *

Chapter 14

Tony continued to adjust the panels long after Pepper had disappeared upstairs. When they were finally working to his satisfaction, he emerged and walked over to his main computer station.

He sat down in his chair and drank from the cup that had once held a cold power shake and now just held lukewarm sludge. He downed it anyway and stared at the white note that had come with the specs from earlier.

_Number is the ruler of forms and ideas, and the cause of gods and demons._

Tony leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.

It was referring to math that was sure. Tony leaned his head to the right to crack the joint a little. The fact was math had always come easy to him. But it was essentially a means to an end, an application, a tool even. The theory had interested him for about a month of so when he was younger, then he discovered robotics and theory was just too boring compared to actually touching things, building things. He had never considered the implications of it. The idea that 'math was everywhere' was an obvious one to him, just not something he was particularly interested in.

What interested him now was that someone had sent his assistant not a simple anonymous gift to then give to him, this person had sent them a clue.

And if those glasses were a clue, then this message was a warning. And if this message was a warning, that meant that something big was already in play.

And if there was one thing that the new and improved Tony hated above anything else, it was being in the dark. He'd been living with his eyes half closed for far too long. His hand clenched around the glass. That was not happening again. He put his hand and pressed lightly on the arc reactor and felt the thrum of energy in his fingertips. He looked at the note again and his fingertips pressed harder.

The second thing he truly hated was the idea that someone would stoop to using _his_ assistant as a messenger.

"Jarvis, has the Spice Girl project been established?" Tony called out.

"Yes sir, the final adjustment was made while you and Miss Potts were conversing," Jarvis replied. "May I say again sir, that the title of this project was particularly uninspired?"

"No, you may not," Tony said. "You may however, show me the finished product."

The screens in front of him immediately displayed the view of the living room, the front of the mansion with a familiar Audi parked in front, a detailed GPS map with a red dot showing the subject was at rest and the front of an apartment building with a doorman currently letting someone inside.

Tony focused on the view of his living room. Pepper was currently sitting on the couch with her legs curled underneath her. Her brow was furrowed and she was making little notes in the margins of the document she was studying. Every now and then her bare feet rubbed one against the other.

"Sir, I'm not altogether sure that Miss Potts would appreciate you observing her like this," Jarvis interrupted Tony's revery.

"I'm absolutely sure she would not," Tony said minimizing the view of his living room and standing quickly. "But, that's just too bad. Get the suit prepped for a run."

"Yes sir," Jarvis said. "Whatever you say, sir."

"Hey, remember sarcasm is the lowest form of humor," Tony said going into the small alcove to change into his body suit.

"Well, I suppose you would know best sir," Jarvis replied. "You are aware that Miss Potts is waiting for you to join her?"

"Yeah, I am," Tony said coming out with his black body suit trousers on and pulling his top over his head. "Send her home Jarvis. I'll look it over later."

"Yes sir," Jarvis said. "What excuse should I use?"

"This is Pepper, Jarvis," Tony said holding his arms out to have the suit attached. "She's already heard all of them. Tell her the truth. I'm going out flying."

"Of course," Jarvis said.

Tony focused on the suit attachment and called for the coordinates of the latest possible Stark Industries weapons cache he'd found earlier in the day. Once the suit was attached, Tony shot out of the the garage and into the sky. His display showed his current location and the estimated time of arrival and distance to the location.

A smaller GPS map in the lower corner of his display showed the red dot signifiying his assistant began to beep it's way home.

Tony burst into super sonic as the dot left his driveway.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"It's done," the smooth voice said over the phone.

"I thought I asked you not to call me directly."

"Relax. I know how to bypass being recorded."

"For your sake, I hope so."

"I have to say, when I was approached for the job, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"Well, considereing what you're being paid, I don't know that I'd complain."

"Oh, I'm not complaining. Just the opposite. This was a delightful challenge."

"We've been talking too long. Get back to work on the original project. This was just a side venture. Don't forget that."

"Certainly not."

"I mean it. You were hired..."

"I was hired because of my skills and my mind. And because you need them. Don't forget that."

There was a pause, then the same voice continued.

"You came to me. _Never_ forget that."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Shock, Theme 048

Series: Tight Coupling

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1623

Disclaimer: Not mine, all Marvel's.

Summary: This list potentially held the name of someone who was desperate to send a message and that made Pepper apprehensive, to say the least.

A/N: I can only apologize heartily for the delay in getting this chapter out. And then apologize again for the ending of this chapter. But things are about to get interesting! I cannot thank everyone who has reviewed enough!

As always, please, please let me know what you think.

* * *

Pepper awoke the next day with the sun. She went through her I'm-actually-in-my-own-house routine. It consisted of a very quick shower, an extremely quick picking out of clothes that hadn't been removed from their dry-cleaning plastic wraps and then the even quicker putting on of the shoes she had worn yesterday. Pepper wandered into the kitchen and prayed that the milk would be okay. Miracles of miracles, it was. She made her coffee and tried very hard not to think about the fact that the apartment she had so carefully and lovingly picked out and decorated felt more like a stranger's home than her own these days.

She grabbed her Blackberry and checked all of the messages that had come in overnight and in the early morning hours. She decided to stop by the mansion. Knowing Tony's recent nightly excursions, she was sure he wouldn't be in any shape to function like the CEO he actually was until at least noon, which would happily leave her free to get some work done.

"Funny how he couldn't function at all previously," Pepper thought. She smirked a little. She may have felt a pang every now and then for the loss of the old Tony, especially whenever she discovered a new frown line on his forehead or spotted a gray hair (his, not hers thank you very much). But she certainly did not miss being the morning after 'trash collector'.

She gathered her things together and walked out of her apartment to her car.

Pepper arrived at the mansion and walked inside and headed straight to the kitchen.

"Good morning Miss Potts," Jarvis greeted her. "The Columbian coffee blend you prefer is almost ready."

"Good morning Jarvis and thank you very much," Pepper said as she recognized the aroma coming from coffee maker. She tapped her fingers on the counter as it finished percolating. She watched the last drop fall into the carafe and pulled it from the machine. "Dare I ask how Mr. Stark is after his flight last night?"

"Surprisingly chipper Miss Potts," Jarvis said. "He is currently in the shower but will be finished shortly. I believe he has a few questions regarding the paperwork you left for him."

Pepper stopped in mid-pour. "He actually looked them over?"

"Oh, yes," Jarvis said. "With enthusiasm I would go so far as to say. I believe the adrenaline caused by flying causes an unforeseen side effect in Tony."

"Which is?" Pepper asked pouring milk into the mug.

"An eagerness to work," Jarvis replied.

Pepper bit her lip to stop the laugh that threatened to burst from her mouth. "Well, I have a feeling its best not to question the exuberance and just see what happens."

"I agree completely Miss Potts," Jarvis concurred. "Will you be working from your office today?"

"Yes, I will," Pepper said as she headed down the hall to her office. "Tell Tony whenever he's ready to talk, I'm here."

"Certainly Miss Potts," Jarvis replied. "Oh, the InfoVisors distribution list is complete and is in your inbox; the total came to 75 people who have either purchased or received a beta version. I've taken the liberty of highlighting the users that are Stark Industries employees."

"Thank you Jarvis," she said.

Pepper sat down at her desk as her desktop automatically powered up. She began by sorting her emails and consulting her schedule for the week. She continued working quietly for about an hour. Then after delaying the inevitable, she reluctantly clicked on the list of InfoVisor users. This list potentially held the name of someone who was desperate to send a message and that made Pepper apprehensive, to say the least.

Her eyes scanned the list and then again. Each time, one name stood out to her above all the others. Pepper sighed and just knew this was the person trying to communicate with them. She needed to tell Tony what she had discovered.

She headed down the stairs to the workshop. Her heels made the familiar click clack as she entered the workshop.

Pepper looked around and saw Tony sitting at his computer station giving small instructions quietly to Jarvis as he typed in commands of his own. He was freshly washed and she did her best to ignore the way his damp hair was curling around the back of his neck. She made a mental note to schedule a hair appointment for him soon.

"I hear you looked over the projections last night," she said in greeting.

"Well, good morning to you too, Miss Potts," Tony said without turning around. She noticed that he quickly minimized a window upon her approach. "You're looking lovely in your blue pinstripes today."

Pepper furrowed her brow and looked down at herself. "How do you know I'm wearing blue pinstripes? You haven't seen me this morning."

"Ah, I'm guessing?" he sort of asked. Tony spun around quickly in his chair and smiled while he gestured at her clothes. "And look at that, I'm right. Blue pinstripes. Careful, Pepper. Don't get too predictable now."

"Right," Pepper said suspiciously. "Anyway, I just looked over the list Jarvis put together of people who may have had access to an InfoVisor."

"Oh? And who dun it?" he asked, his words flippant, but his spine was straight and eyes were focused.

"Well, some of these names haven't worked at Stark Industries in awhile. But, one name kind of stood out," Pepper hesitated as she tried to work the concept out in her head.

"Suspense is killin' me here, Potts," Tony said. "Out with it."

"Danny Morgan," she said. Tony leaned back to rest against the table and made a face. Pepper continued. "His name is on the list. He's the only one of this list I can actually claim to having has more than a brief conversation in an elevator with."

"Morgan," Tony said as he swiveled slowly on his chair. "Accounting's whiz kid right? You really think he'd send glasses to you?"

"Well no, I don't. Not normally," Pepper said honestly. "But, I did see him a week or so ago. He seemed like something was bothering him, he was very distracted."

"He's a mathematician," Tony said. "Distracted is in the job description."

"Fine, fine, not distracted then," she said rolling her eyes. "More like, worried."

"About what?" he asked. Pepper shrugged.

"I really don't know," she told him.

Tony swiveled a couple more times and then turned around completely on his stool and then launched out of his chair, Pepper stepped back just in time to avoid being run into.

"Get him on the phone," he said. He headed towards the other work table picking up a random tool out of the tool box. "Call him now. See what's going on."

He started to do something to the spare part on the table. Pepper watched him with a bemused expression. She got out her phone and put the call into Accounting.

Tony was fairly sure he hadn't fooled Pepper, but he needed to do something with his hands. He listened as she spoke patiently and politely to the receptionist, then silence as she was transferred to Morgan's direct line. He tightened a bolt that really didn't need to be tightened and then loosened it again. He glanced over at Pepper who was looking far too calm then back down at the part in front of him.

"Hi Danny, this is Pepper Potts. Please give me a call when you get this message," she said. Pepper hung up and looked at him. "Voicemail."

"Hmm," Tony said as he tapped the socket wrench on the table. "Well, try him later. Do I have to be anywhere today?"

"No, actually. Although it might be nice of you to put in an appearance at the office," she said with a pointed look.

"Why? To keep the serfs happy?" he asked.

"I really wouldn't go around calling your employees serfs, Tony," Pepper said. "It's not very polite."

"And I don't actually have any fields that need plowing, so it's not completely accurate either. What are you doing today?" he asked as he dropped the wrench back down onto the table and faced her.

"Well, I actually do need to go into the office," she said as she headed towards the stairs. "I've still got quite a bit of paperwork..." Pepper's phone rang and interrupted her.

She glanced at the caller id and answered immediately.

"Pepper Potts. Oh, Edith?... Yes, yes I did just call, I was trying to get in touch with Danny...," Pepper said as she spoke to one of the other accountants. Her brow furrowed and she turned slightly towards Tony. "What? Wait, what?"

Tony crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at the sound of disbelief in Pepper's voice.

"Oh my God... How?... Are they sure?..." Pepper asked. Her voice became tight and the color drained out of her face. Tony walked around the table to stand next to her and watched her, his eyes dark and concerned.

"No, no, thank you Edith. Tell Dr. Cummings to call me as soon as he can," she said as she tried to sound professional. "I know this is a shock. Call Human Resources and let them know. They'll handle any questions. Who found him again?... No, I don't know him... No, don't worry. I'll tell Mr. Stark. Thank you Edith. I'll call you soon."

Pepper hung up the phone and stared at it. It didn't offer any answers.

"Pepper?" Tony asked quietly. He put a hand on her shoulder and guided her to fully face him. Her eyes were troubled and pained.

"Tony…" she said, her voice broke slightly. "Danny Morgan was found dead in his apartment this morning."


End file.
